te·nac·i·ty
I realized early in my career that tenacity pays off. As a young lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force, I was naturally the lowest ranking guy as an action officer. Since my work was the lowest in the secretarial typing pool, I often had to wait. I’m an impatient person so I developed a workaround to get my messages out. I went to the on-base store, bought a MAC, found the right printer, constructed a cable soldering to the right connector and installed the proper driver. And with that, I was able to skip the typing queue, type my own messages, get them out quickly and, as a result, influence U.S. Air Force-wide discussions. My tenacious nature drove me to get the job done.
Today, I often come back to this example when thinking about ways in which I can help my teams foster innovation. One key ingredient of innovation is, of course, curiosity. After all, if we’re not curious then we don’t learn and a curious mind digs deeper. I believe that in order for curiosity to truly move the needle, it needs to be accompanied by tenacity.
In her book, “Grit,” author Angela Duckworth explains that our capacity for greatness isn’t driven by some innate ability or natural-born talent for coming up with revolutionizing ideas. It’s fueled by the commitment to try new things and keep experimenting. I couldn’t agree more. Tenacity allows us to push past barriers; to take our curiosity a step further; to persevere in our attempts to get at the crux of an issue and discover new solutions.
2019 is coming to an end and it’s the perfect time for a new year resolution - I hope that this year, along with me, you’ll consider making a renewed commitment to be curious and tenacious in your work.
Good to hear from you. Working with your staff on potential opportunity Hope your family has a great holiday...
DNA and the right environment with the right belief (for me). Here’s to the never-ending-relentless pursuit of excellence to which we shall never stop striving Happy Holidays, Brad, and the Cubic Family. See you next year!
Tenacity and the ability to embrace the suck go a long ways.
Don’t listen to people that tell you will fail or you are not good enough. Make your own decisions and accept their consequences. You will get the Karma of what you put out. The world is your oyster. That is living and is in your heart. Passion is love.
Another good ingredient to compliment Tenacity. Perseverance - driving through barriers to success.